CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Kos Minars or distance pillars were raised to mark the distance travelled; the minars (pillars) were placed at intervals of a kos (a distance of approximately 4.17 km). These are plastered brick structures standing on square platform. Each minar soars from a tapering octagonal base which is separated from the upper circulatory portion by a molding. This kos minar surviving along the Agra-Lahore highway, in Faridabad was possibly erected during the 17th century when Mughal rulers vastly improved this important route. Although not individually especially impressive, they become so when we consider the large territory they once marked.

The Kos Minar at Futtupur, Kurukshetra district of Haryana, is a Mughal-period distance marker built between 1600 and 1699 CE. Constructed of lakhori bricks bonded with lime mortar, the octagonal tower represents the standard Kos Minar type. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle).

The Kos Minar at Ganaur, Sonipat district, Haryana, is a Mughal-period distance marker built between 1600 and 1699 CE. Constructed of lakhori bricks bonded with lime mortar, the octagonal tower represents the standard Kos Minar type. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle).

The Kos Minar at Ghungrali in Ludhiana district of Punjab is a Mughal-period distance marker located in agricultural fields approximately 1.5 km outside the village. Originally surviving only as a fragmentary base, the structure has since been completely rebuilt. Constructed of brick and lime mortar and dated to the seventeenth century, the monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle); however, the present form reflects extensive reconstruction, and the original shape of the Kos Minar is no longer ascertainable.

This Kos Minar is a Mughal-period octagonal distance marker located in open ground to the west of the Old Grand Trunk Road in Hansali in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab. The monument is unprotected and survives in a severely damaged condition, with the upper portion collapsed and the structure leaning, placing it at risk of further failure.

The Kos Minar at Jagdishpur, Sonipat district, Haryana, is a Mughal-period distance marker constructed between 1600 and 1699 CE. Built of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar, the octagonal tower follows the standard Kos Minar design. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle).